Code for America and Anthropic Partner to Create AI Tools

Together, Code for America and Anthropic are developing and testing AI tools powered by Claude to help government caseworkers manage public benefits programs more efficiently. The project will first focus on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The partnership will first focus on building the SNAP Policy Navigator. This Claude-powered tool helps caseworkers quickly access accurate and up-to-date SNAP policy information from federal, state, and county sources.

The partnership was announced on the main stage at the 2026 in Chicago. The announcement also follows Code for America's release of its second annual Government AI Landscape Assessment. This report highlights how states are adopting AI across stages, including readiness, testing, implementation, and impact.

Beyond the first pilot program, Code for America and Anthropic plan to develop reusable AI tools that governments across states and counties can use. The goal is to help agencies modernize public services while staying compliant with regulations. The organizations will build a range of Claude-powered tools to support benefits programs by helping caseworkers answer complex policy questions, review eligibility documents, and create clear, easy-to-understand messages for benefit recipients.

The SNAP Policy Navigator uses the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard created by Anthropic that allows secure connections between trusted data sources and AI tools. This helps ensure AI is used responsibly in public benefits programs by providing answers based on verified federal, state, and county policies. With the SNAP Policy Navigator, caseworkers can quickly get accurate, up-to-date answers to case-related questions, helping them handle even complex cases more quickly.

For more than 15 years Code for America has worked with partners across the country to solve problems and improve systems related to public benefits, criminal justice and tax assistance. In 2025, the organization worked in 27 states and Washington, D.C., helping 7 million people access $22 billion in benefits and support.

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"Technology is most impactful when it reaches the people with the deepest needs. SNAP caseworkers carry an enormous load, interpreting complex rules under tight timelines for the families who depend on the safety net," said Elizabeth Kelly, Head of Beneficial Deployments at Anthropic. "With Code for America, we are putting Claude in their hands so more eligible familie's get help quickly, and accurately."

"This partnership with Anthropic underscores our shared belief that responsible AI is a transformative tool, capable of easing caseworker burden, streamlining processing and, ultimately, delivering benefits more quickly and accurately," said Amanda Renteria, CEO of Code for America. "Code for America is committed to working with our partners to build a future of government that is efficient, effective and more empathetic through responsible AI."

About Code for America

Founded in 2009, Code for America is a nonprofit organization that uses technology to make government services easier and more effective. For more than 15 years, the organization has partnered with governments and community groups across the country to create digital tools, and apps that help people access public services, improve programs and navigate government systems more easily. Its goal is to build a stronger government that better serves everyone.

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